<< Background >>Knowledge of foreign languages is essential not only as an intrinsic part of modern education but is also considered as a means to improve the students’ future social and professional success. Gaining solid command of a foreign language, however, is not a straightforward process for Deaf, deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) learners. There are different reasons for that. - The predominant current methodology for teaching English as a Foreign Language involves active teaching strategies centred on oral conversations, interactive group exchanges and individual role play. However, DHH individuals have specific educational needs in the context of learning foreign languages. If these teaching methods are not adapted to incorporate the visual, non-auditory learning strategie the learning may be an experience of exclusion (Nunn, Yang, Tóthová, Sedláčková 2021).- DHH learners have limited access to learning audio-oral languages, learning often exclusively or primarily the written form of the chosen foreign language. Their participation in standard language courses offered at universities and outside them is therefore problematic, as the materials and content of mainstream courses are generally not easy to be accessed by DHH learners and not culturally relevant. - The field of teaching foreign languages to DHH students has only recently been receiving appropriate attention (Domagała-Zyśk 2015) and it is affected by the scarcity of culturally relevant teaching and learning materials.- Research on the experiences of Czech DHH students of English has also shown their inclination to assign responsibility for their own failure or success in learning mainly to their teachers (Sedláčková and Kontra 2020). DHH learners have been identified as dependent learners, relying on directed learning, which alongside social and literacy issues, negatively influences the educational success of DHH learners (Scherer and Walter 1988).- Another significant reason learners generally struggle with foreign language learning is the fact they lack suitable study skills and strategies. The currently published instructional texts may not be particularly suitable for DHH learners because of their structure, or they may not be culturally relevant to them as this is a particularly under researched area and both instructors as well as DHH learners lack sources to learn more about it.<< Objectives >>The objectives lying at the core of the project are the following: - To provide better awareness about learning styles and strategies among DHH foreign language higher education learners;- To consider how the learning styles and strategies surveys might be adapted to suit the needs of DHH learners learning foreign languages; - To provide DHH foreign language learners and their teachers with an adapted learning styles and strategies surveys so that they could be able to test themselves and learn the results raising their own autonomy as foreign language learners and feeling more in control of the learning process;- To provide DHH learners and teachers with a resource pack that would inform them about the assets of the surveys and of finding one’s preferred learning preferences; - To collect tips and hints suggested by successful foreign language learners to motivate other DHH foreign language learners to find or reassess their own learning preferences supporting self-reflection;- To make foreign language learning experience more efficient for DHH learners;- To engage DHH communities in a dialogue about the topical issue of learning foreign languages;- To provide DHH foreign language higher education learners with a unique multilingual and multicultural academic opportunity to meet and share their experience and best practices; - To promote dialogue and best practice sharing;- To collect information about the styles and strategies that prevail among DHH learners as such data is largely missing;- To open a discussion with experts in the field of English as a Foreign Language for DHH learners about the learning styles and strategies of these learners.<< Implementation >>The project aims to improve the quality of foreign language education for DHH learners by drawing attention to the importance of using effective foreign language learning strategies and encouraging autonomy in DHH learners by designing a set of resources. The project aims to:- adapt the learning styles and strategies surveys in order to allow DHH learners assess themselves and choose those that suit their needs;- undertake research into the learning styles and strategies of DHH foreign language learners using the adapted surveys in order to gain more data and knowledge about their learning preferences;- create a bank of tips and strategies suggested by successful DHH learners who will act as role models motivating DHH learners on their foreign language learning pathway; - design a set of resources for teachers and self-access learners, describing how to take the results of one's learning preferences into account in order to give the best results;- hold a series of summer schools to extend the learning outside the classroom and enable the DHH foreign language learners to discuss possibilities for adopting different ways of acquiring and practising a foreign language;- organize an international conference and national seminars for the interested public to share the results and materials to a wide public.<< Results >>The area of learning styles and strategies of DHH learners is heavily under researched, yet adopting suitable learning styles and strategies is crucial in order to ensure a successful foreign language learning experience. Mastering these skills may not only improve learners’ performance in school, but also their ability to learn foreign languages in general which they can benefit from their whole life. The project therefore wishes to help fill this gap. The project aims to create the following outcomes:- adapt the language styles and strategies surveys for DHH learners (O1);- undertake research into the area of language styles and strategies of DHH learners (O2);- create a learning styles and strategies resource pack for teachers and self-access DHH learners (O3);- collect practical tips and strategies used by successful DHH English as a Foreign Language learners (O4).Along the above mentioned intellectual outputs, the following activities will enrich the project:- a series of summer schools to encourage sharing of best practices (C1, C2, C3);- an international conference for the interested public to engage in a wider discussion (E1);- national seminars for teachers of English as a Foreign Language to DHH learners in order to share the project results and to engage in a wider discussion at national level as well (E2, E3, E4);- a project’s website describing the project and its aims will be set up and used as a platform to share the project outcomes and a series of dissemination activities will help spread the results of the project.

Many Deaf sign language users are unemployed or working in unfulfilling and/or unrewarding jobs. At EU level a range of activities has been implemented to support individuals and educators to train potential and beginning entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurship now is a priority throughout Erasmus+ and recognized as a key competence that enables people to develop the skills they need for life and work. To this end, entrepreneurship education strategies generally address active citizenship, social entrepreneurship, venture creation as well as employability (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2016. Entrepreneurship Education at School in Europe. Eurydice Report. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union).All or most of the mainstream resources in this field however, are not accessible to Deaf sign language users: texts do not meet their reading requirements, videos are not subtitled, examples, tools and other resources are inappropriate or inaccessible.The objective of the Deaf Enterprise project was to develop, test and implement an Open Educational Resource (OER) and Curriculum to teach entrepreneurial skills to Deaf sign language users of all ages.The Deaf Enterprise OER and Curriculum were to be ‘made to measure' for and by Deaf sign language users. The Consortium consisted of 5 partners from 4 countries, 4 of whom had extensive experience developing training courses for Deaf sign language users.At the start of the project, very little was known about Deaf entrepreneurs in the EU member states. Although there have been a few EU supported projects about employability and Deafness, our project was the first of its kind to focus on Deaf people who have started, or want to start their own business. How many Deaf business owners are there in the member states of the EU? What kind of businesses do they have? Are there any specific barriers that they have to deal with. If yes: what are these barriers? And: how do Deaf sign language users deal with these barriers? Are these barriers – and solutions – the same across the board, or are some specific to certain trades or countries?Answers to these questions would help us to develop a Curriculum and OER that would take the specific situation of Deaf entrepreneurs into account, instead of, or in addition to, using what is known about mainstream entrepreneurship. Answers to these questions would also be used to inspire and inform Deaf sign language users interested in setting up their own business. Last but not least, answers to these questions would help us identify structural barriers that Deaf entrepreneurs have to deal with in one or all EU countries, and might help point the way to solutions to help Deaf entrepreneurs in all EU member states.The Deaf Enterprise project used three different paths to find answers to these questions:1. We set up a database of Deaf business-owners in EU countries. We used our networks, personal contacts and internet searches. We did not try to be exhaustive, but collected examples of Deaf business owners as varied as possible: from different countries, different trades or professions, different age-groups, and men as well as women. By the end of the project, we have a ‘gallery’ of almost 70 Deaf entrepreneurs from 10 EU countries. For each entrepreneur we included a photo, a link to the website of the business, and relevant information about the business and the business-owner. The database can be found on the Deaf Enterprise website.2. We conducted extensive personal interviews with 10 Deaf entrepreneurs (6 men, 4 women) in 3 EU countries: Denmark, the UK and Italy (the countries of partners in the consortium). The interviews followed a standardized format, asking questions about the business of the person, strategies used, barriers that had to be dealt with, and lessons learned. Most interviews were conducted in International Sign, some in the national Sign Language of the interviewee. Most interviews were captioned in English, some also in Italian. All interviews were posted on the Deaf Enterprise website.3. We developed the Deaf Enterprise Survey to collect data from Deaf entrepreneurs from all EU member states. The results of these activities were published in a report: Deaf Entrepreneurs in Europe. At the same time, together with Deaf trainers, we developed the Deaf Enterprise Curriculum that is now freely accessible on the project’s website. The curriculum includes learning materials and videos of trainers and trainees. It was validated and tested during a transnational Train the Trainer workshop, as well as during two national workshops with Deaf trainers and Deaf participants (UK, IT). Reports of these workshops can also be found on the project’s website.Trainers and participants were very positive about the Deaf Enterprise project and the workshops and were unanimous in their wish that activities started by the Deaf Enterprise consortium be continued and extended, both nationally and transnationally.

"The changes that have taken place in recent years in the education of the deaf (emanating from the recommendations of the European Parliament through the document A2-302/87, the United Nations Resolution 1994, the Salamanca Declaration 1994, and the UN General Assembly in 2006) require public schools’ new projects, a new profile of teachers capable of acting in different areas and with sustained training in the development of studies in the area of education of the Deaf.There is in Physical Education discipline taught in schools a space for learning language concepts and for the development of Sign Language for deaf students. Positive experiences and effective communication in Physical Education teaching can form the basis for regular practice of physical activities that promote health and well-being. But when sign language is not the domain of teachers and deaf students do not master spoken and/or written language, teaching can become complex and segregating. In addition, the lack of adequate resources, in this specific case, the lack of a bilingual glossary of comprehensive bilingual sports, which allows students to learn sports terminology and display the demonstration of their motor skill, can obstruct the ""full"" exercise of the teaching and learning process. When the teacher does not master the Sign Language, it must be supported by an interpreter, but the lack of resources, which make it possible to learn and update new terminology in Sign Language, can also condition the translation work of the interpreters, taking them many linguistic niches of Sign Language, since they also use this type of tools in the preparation of the translation process. Taking in consideration these identified needs, SportSign's main target groups are: Physical Education teachers, Interpreters and Deaf students.In practical terms, SportSign aims at developing joint initiatives meant at creating a Bilingual Sports Glossary as a self-learning pedagogical tool for free access at world level through an innovative approach to increase the effectiveness of the pedagogical strategy directed at deaf students in Physical Education and Sports, based on a 2-phase model:1 – Development of a tool kit - Sport Sign to be tested in class context by each partner country (Physical Education teachers, Sign Language teachers and Sign Language interpreters will be trained through an E-learning course);2 - Creation of an online community platform to promote cooperation and exchange of good practice between Physical Education and Sign Language professionals.The methodology proposed for the progress of the project aims at the effectiveness of its implementation, development, dissemination and sustainability. The project is grounded on 3 milestones: Milestone 1: completion of the comparative study; Milestone 2: SportSign toolkit and Sport Sign e-Community platform; Milestone 3: Analysis of pilot action results and sharing of good practices.The first output of the project will be a Comparative Study. For this study, each country will involve participants from the target groups in data collection, which will then be analysed, compiled and published. Along with this activity, two other outputs will be underway - the SportSign Toolkit and the e-Community platform. It follows a period of testing and validation of these ICT tools. A pre-testing with local participants will enable validation, product improvement and training of the target public in the user version. Students will be involved in sport, recreation and cultural activities to develop contacts with peers from partner countries and will create a network to promote the SportSign e-Community platform. Then the piloting stage will take place in each country and will be object of a monitoring and assessment process. The collection of the results will lead to the fourth and last output – the Good Practices guide. This Guide will be published and widely disseminated to schools with deaf students, sports clubs, associations of deaf people, physical education teachers and interpreters’ organizations and other stakeholders.SportSign will contribute to standardize the use of Sign Language in Physical Education discipline and Sports using schools as dissemination vehicle. From a sustainability point of view, the SportSign Toolkit can be easily extended by integrating more advanced sports’ terminology or by including other sport modalities, as well as through its translation to other EU languages.SportSign piloting activities expects to reach a significant number of participants. Approximately 25 physical education teachers, 25 interpreters and 100 deaf students will be directly involved in the project activities. It is expected that besides the piloting and after its end the project will impact on a much wider community."

"The first SignTeach project (2014-2017) developed, implemented and evaluated Open Educational Resources (OER) for sign language teachers and their trainers in Europe. The OER included information for new and experienced sign language teachers about a.o. didactics, class management, the CEFR for sign languages, meta-linguistics, ICT and entrepreneurial skills. The output of the project consisted of over 250 short videos in International Sign and several national sign languages: short videos of sign language teachers at work, videos with comments, interviews with experts, results of a Survey and more. The project's website has since then been visited over 18.000 times by 13.880 individual users from 158 different countries. It is used by individual teachers for independent learning as well as by trainers of sign language teachers. The project was considered a 'good practice' example and made the shortlist for the European Language Label in 2019.Since the online teaching of sign languages was not considered relevant at that time, little or no information was included in the OER about teaching sign languages, online. The Covid-19 pandemic however has dramatically changed the need for this kind of information. On the one hand, interest in learning a sign language has increased as a result of the visibility of sign language interpreters in Corona bulletins on TV, and because people realise that lipreading - difficult at all times - is now impossible because of the protective mouth masks people have to wear. On the other hand, sign language teachers were unable to continue their traditional on-site teaching practices as a result of the pandemic. A consortium of 7 partners from 7 different countries, representing Universities, Deaf Organisations and SME's aims to fill the gaps in the SignTeach OER that have now become apparent. Together, we aim to develop new online open learning resources that sign language teachers and their trainers can use to improve their digital pedagogical competences and that will enable them to deliver high quality inclusive digital, online education, nationally and transnationally. Together with associated partners, we will produce: IO1: New ""Good Example"" videos with Intros and Comments, showing sign language teachers teaching online; IO2: New podcasts: short instructional videos in International Sign and/or national sign languages of the presenters, on various topics related to the online teaching of sign languages. Didactics, technology, testing, safety and security, and more. The podcasts will be produced by partners in the consortium, but also by associated partners, invited experts, learners. In this way, the SignTeach project will provide sign language teachers, their trainers, other stakeholders in this field with a platform to disseminate and exchange their ideas, opinions and expertise. IO3: A pilot study of teaching a foreign sign language online, transnationally. The online teaching of sign languages poses new challenges, but also offers new opportunities. It enables sign language teachers to teach their national sign language to learners in other countries; it enables Deaf children to learn a foreign sign language as a second language, and it enables Deaf learners to learn the sign language of a foreign country before they travel there for work, study or as a tourist. To find out what is or is not possible and effective, we will develop, deliver and evaluate a 'taster' course in British Sign Language and will teach it to partners in the consortium. Sign language teachers teaching other sign language teachers a foreign sign language! We expect lively and informative discussions, resulting in reports and recommendations that we will publish on the project's website.  IO4: A Report on the 'State of the Art' in the online teaching of sign languages (nationally and transnationally), with the results of an online Survey and interviews with experts, teachers, learners.All output will be developed by Deaf sign language users for Deaf sign language users and will take their needs and preferences into account from day 1. In 2017, the first SignTeach project was judged to be ‘an excellent project’ by the evaluators and was judged to be a 'good practice'. As to the relevance of the project, the evaluators wrote: 'The outcomes adequately and fully meet the originally intended ambitions and address the needs of the participating organisations and target audiences of sign language teachers and their trainers. (..) This output is assessed as very positive and relevant. (..) The SignTeach project delivered an impressive number of good examples and podcasts (..). The project succeeded in generating wide interest for its approach and products and long-lasting effects can already be seen and are further expected.'We expect that the output of the follow-up project, SignTeach Online, will be as good and relevant and will have as large an impact as the first SignTeach project."

In the EU member states, approximately 750.000 people are deaf from an early age and use a sign language as their preferred language. Deaf people not only have their own language, but also their own culture: Deaf Culture. The education of deaf children has a long -, and controversial - history going back centuries. Today, most hearing people do know about sign language, but they may know little or nothing about Deaf Culture, Deaf Education.Deaf Clubs, for centuries the centres of Deaf Culture, are disappearing quickly or have vanished already. Most deaf children are now mainstreamed. As a result, the heritage of Deaf people is at risk. In the Deaf Museums project, we will develop Open Educational Resources (OER), including an online training course in museum and general entrepreneurial skills for and by Deaf sign language users, to promote, preserve and share the Deaf Heritage.The Deaf Museums project has 2 long term goals:1.To promote, preserve and share the Deaf Heritage and by doing so: to promote Deaf awareness in the widest sense possible.2.To improve the employability of Deaf sign language users and the success of Deaf entrepreneurs by providing them with the necessary mindset and skills.In so doing, it will support the Erasmus+ goals for the participants in Strategic Partnerships: increased capacity and professionalism to work at EU/international level: improved management competences and internationalisation strategies; reinforced cooperation with partners from other countries and other cultures. Short term objectives of the project are:1.To develop online Open Educational Resources including a training course in basic Museum skills, for and by Deaf sign language users. The course will include examples, guidelines, signed stories and case studies, all produced and/or tested by the participants in the project. Included will be topics that state of the art mainstream museums are addressing: “Who are museums for and why are they working to engage new audiences? How do visitors respond emotionally to museum objects and spaces? And how can museums play a role in the pursuit of social justice, human rights, or health and well being?” (https://www.culturepartnership.eu/en/article/5-free-online-courses-for-museum-workers). Special attention will be given to the use of social media and ICT tools. All information will be in International Sign, written English, and as many of the partners’ signed and written languages as possible.2.To output case studies and good examples of museum exhibitions (e.g. about Deaf Culture, Deaf Art, Deaf people during WWII, Deaf migrants, Deaf in the European Union), produced by the participants in the project. The case studies and exhibitions will be included as examples in the training course and will be used to promote the project and disseminate its results both during and after the project's lifetime. 3.To research the state of the art in this field through surveys and interviews, to use the results to set up a platform for the promotion of real and virtual Deaf museums and Deaf Heritage initiatives, nationally, across Europe and globally, and to promote and support transnational collaboration in this field.Methodology and participating organisationsThe participating organisations represent a diverse mix of organisations from different fields of education, training, and other socio-economic sectors, including institutes of higher education, NGO's and SME's, from 7 European countries. In the consortium, participants from 'the Deaf world' and from the 'mainstream Museum world' will work together to produce high quality results and output by sharing and comparing each other's expertise. Our methodology will be based on peer-learning and challenge-based learning. Partners as well as several invited experts will share their expertise in specific fields. Partners will be asked to find solutions for the challenges that Museums in general, and Deaf Museums in particular have to deal with. They will learn practical entrepreneurial skills by planning, producing, promoting and evaluating the exhibitions that they will develop during the project. At each consortium meeting, they will be interviewed about the work they have done and about lessons learned. These interviews will be included in the OER and will be used to disseminate information about the project, both during and after the project's lifetime.Impact and potential longer term benefitsInterest in the Deaf Heritage and Deaf Culture and how to preserve and share these, has been growing rapidly in recent years. Therefore, we expect the project to have a major impact on Deaf people and Deaf Organisations in general, and on Deaf Museums and similar initiatives in particular. We also expect the project to have impact on mainstream Museum professionals. Long term benefits: bridging gaps between generations of Deaf people, between Deaf and hearing people, and between Deaf and mainstream Museum professionals.